


are we always starting over?

by reginasmills



Category: Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Amnesia AU, Angst?, F/F, Humour?, look i could not get this out of my head, who the heck knows anymore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-01-21 12:44:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21299669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginasmills/pseuds/reginasmills
Summary: Maleficent's spell has some rather unintended effects, and Maleficent isn't quite sure what she ought to do. Amnesia!AU
Relationships: Ingrith/Maleficent (Disney)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

On the stroke of midnight, on the 400th day since the spell was cast upon her, Ingrith morphed, as planned, into a human again. The guard stationed outside her pen yelped in surprise – Maleficent had_ accidentally_ forgotten to tell anyone the exact date that the enchantment would end – and then sped as fast as his legs could carry him towards the main castle.

“The Queen,” he panted, to the guards at the main gate, “the Queen, she’s… she’s…”

The guards at the main gate raised their eyebrows.

“She’s back! She’s human again!”

One of the guards broke into a laugh.

“Been drinking again, eh, Mitch?” he said, not unkindly, nudging the shoulder of the still-panting guard.

“Tis not a joke, she’s human again!” Mitch said, frantically.

The guards exchanged looks, and then one of them shrugged.

“I’ll go in and let the King know,” he said, though he squinted at Mitch again, as if making sure Mitch truly wasn’t in a drunken stupor.

Then, shrugging again, he turned towards the entrance hall. A few steps in, he stopped, and turned back around.

“Hang on, if you’re here, who’s guarding the Queen?”

Mitch paled, and took off in the direction he came. But by the time he reached the stall where the Queen was supposed to be, it was too late. The stall’s door hung ajar, and in the pale light of the moon, it was all too plain that the stall was empty. Mitch swore, and raced back to the main castle.

______

“Gone? What do you mean she’s gone?” the King narrowed his eyes at the guards before him, who shifted uncomfortably.

“She turned into a human at the stroke of midnight, and then fled whilst the guard came to tell us, Sire,” the guard on the right finally spoke up.

“Human?” the King said, taken aback.

The guards nodded.

“Send a search party out immediately. She can’t have gone far on foot. God knows what she’s planning right now,” the King ordered.

Four miles away from the palace, Ingrith, who was frantically running as fast as she could, really wasn’t planning anything in particular. She just wanted to get as far away from the palace – her _prison_ – as possible. Stumbling over a tree root in her haste, she gave a sharp cry as she tumbled to the ground, slicing her knee open. Pushing herself to her feet, she staggered further into the woods, exhausted and in pain. The sound of hooves reached her ears, and she whipped her head back in horror. In the bright moonlight, she could see the horses coming towards her, and hear the shouts of the men who rode astride them. Ingrith gathered her skirts and ran with mounting desperation, but it wasn’t too long before her feet caught yet again on another root on the ground and she fell to her knees for the second time that night.

Except, Ingrith realised, the root wasn’t a root, but a staff, and holding that staff –

“_Well, well,_” Maleficent cooed down at her, “look who we have here.”

“_Please_,” Ingrith said in desperation, turning to look at the encroaching horses.

“Please, they’re going to _kill_ me,” Ingrith said, tears streaking down her face, “_please_ – ”

“You silly woman, have you completely lost your head?” Maleficent drawled, arching an eyebrow. “They’re _your_ soldiers, and well, they are presumably here to take you home, now that you’re human again. Don’t you want to see your son again?”

Ingrith stared at her, her eyes glassy with tears.

“I don’t have a son,” Ingrith says, shakily, and Maleficent’s eyes widened.

“You must be mistaking me for someone else! Please, please just help me get out of here, _please_,” Ingrith was sobbing now, huge, wracking sobs that shook her slender frame.

_Well_. This was an awkward situation. If Ingrith had completely lost her mind from the 400 days spent as a goat, then quite frankly, Maleficent felt a little, just a _little_, responsible. Looking down at the shivering, injured, tear-streaked woman, Maleficent’s heart gave a little twinge of guilt. _Maybe we should just have locked her up instead_, Maleficent thought snidely, _it would have saved me the trouble of all this nonsense_. Sighing, she scooped Ingrith into her arms, and then took flight into the night, veering swiftly away from the castle guards.

Maleficent landed outside the entrance to the cottage where Aurora had been raised, and realised, with a start, that Ingrith had somehow managed to fall asleep in her arms. Sighing yet again, she set Ingrith gently down on the bed. Pushing Ingrith’s bloodied and torn dress to one side, Maleficent set about healing Ingrith’s wounds.

As she watched the skin knit itself back together, Maleficent realized that Ingrith was still shivering, even as she slept. In one fluid motion, she conjured a cloak, draping it over Ingrith’s sleeping form. Then, with a bored flick of her wrist, Maleficent started the fireplace going, and a sigh of contentment escaped her as the warmth rushed over her. She guessed she _could_ admit that humans had _some_ good inventions. Yanking a chair over to the side of the bed, she sank down into it wearily. _Might as well try and get some sleep tonight, before Ingrith wakes up and tries to murder me,_ Maleficent thought, grouchily. _The things I do for Aurora and her prince._

______

Maleficent woke to the warm sunlight streaming in through the open cottage windows, which she was fairly sure had been closed the previous night. As she stood up, the cloak slid off her, and sure enough, when she looked to the bed, Ingrith was gone. She swore.

“I swear – ” Maleficent growled, and stalked towards the door. But just as she was about to leave the cottage in search of the missing woman, Ingrith walked through the door, carrying a bunch of fresh flowers in her arms. Maleficent’s eyes widened in shock. _Ingrith_. _Fresh flowers. In her arms._ _Did Aurora not mention once that she was allergic to them, or something along those lines?_

“Oh!” Ingrith smiled shyly at her. “You’re awake!”

Maleficent tried not to choke in surprise as Ingrith placed the bouquet of flowers in her arms.

“I thought some flowers were in order as a thank-you,” Ingrith continued, “for yesterday.”

“I do hope you don’t mind that they are all the same type,” Ingrith called over her shoulder, moving over to the table, where Maleficent saw, with a sense of increasing bewilderment, sat a steaming pot of tea and two bowls of oatmeal.

“I’m afraid there’s only one type of flower I’m not allergic to,” Ingrith said, wryly.

“I also made us breakfast,” Ingrith gestured to the table, smiling that shy smile again.

Maleficent opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Ingrith was starting to give her an odd look, so she shut her mouth, and moved to sit at the table.

“Thank you.”

Maleficent somehow, by the grace of whatever God there was, managed to get those two words out of her mouth. They even sounded normal, despite the fact that Maleficent was experiencing what was possibly the greatest inner meltdown in her _entire_ life.

“No, thank _you_,” Ingrith murmured, softly, “for saving me last night. You have no idea how grateful I am. Truly.”

Ingrith dug into her oatmeal, and then paused, looking up at Maleficent.

“I can’t wait to tell Father about you,” Ingrith said, a smile flitting across her face again.

“He’ll be so glad to hear – he’s believed in peace between our kinds for so long, you know, and well,” Ingrith looked a little embarrassed at this point, “I haven’t always believed that fairies were good.”

“But now,” Ingrith hurried on, “now, I’m sure. And I’m sure this will help to convince the kingdom as well, and – ”

Ingrith stopped when she saw the expression on Maleficent’s face.

“Oh,” Ingrith said, softly, reassuringly, “oh, I don’t mind if you want to keep your identity a secret. I understand. I won’t say a _word_ about you if you don’t want me to.”

Maleficent managed to arrange her features into something she hoped look like a smile, before abandoning the attempt and picking up the spoon to the oatmeal to avoid having to respond to Ingrith.

_Fuck_, Maleficent groaned internally. _She thinks she’s what, sixteen, again? Oh god, oh god. This is a disaster. A complete and utter disaster. _


	2. Chapter 2

Maleficent was still staring at the oatmeal in a bid to avoid meeting Ingrith’s eyes, when her ears were assaulted by the repeated, familiar, _loud_ cawing of Diaval. She glanced to the windowsill, where sure enough, Diaval sat – with each caw emanating from his beak louder, and more insistent, than the last. He hopped into the room and onto the table, where he glared reproachfully at Maleficent. She glared right back.

“That’s a beautiful bird,” Ingrith murmured, reaching out her hand, as if to stroke Diaval.

“Is he – Ow!”

Diaval had given Ingrith’s fingers a vicious peck, causing her to draw her hand back with a yelp of pain.

“_Diaval_,” Maleficent hissed at the bird, who ruffled his feathers, and stared at her pointedly.

“I’m sorry. He isn’t too fond of humans, I’m afraid,” Maleficent said, reaching her hand across the table to take Ingrith’s hand in hers. With a wave of her hand, the bleeding cut on Ingrith’s finger healed.

“You – ” Ingrith’s eyes widened in surprise, then drew her hand back sharply. Maleficent felt a pang of loss.

“I’m sorry,” Maleficent muttered, looking away.

_Of course_, Maleficent reminded herself bitterly, _she still doesn’t trust magic, even if she does think she’s sixteen again_.

“Don’t apologise,” Ingrith said softly, and Maleficent jerked her head up, meeting Ingrith’s eyes.

“I’m not afraid, just startled. You see, I’ve never seen magic before,” Ingrith paused, before continuing tentatively, “but if you wouldn’t mind, I think I would like to see more, in the future.”

The corners of Maleficent’s lips twitched upwards, involuntarily.

“Of course,” Maleficent promised, almost too quickly, and her heart gave a little skip as Ingrith grinned back at her.

A loud, disbelieving caw sounded through the room, and the next thing Maleficent knew, Diaval had flown onto her arm, digging his little claws into her with determination.

“Alright, _alright!_” Maleficent hissed in annoyance, shaking Diaval onto the floor and twirling her index finger once.

Diaval shook himself off as he scrambled to his feet in his human form, batting the dust from his clothes. Maleficent stole a glance at Ingrith, who was staring open-mouthed at Diaval, transfixed.

“You’re _brilliant_,” Ingrith exhaled in wonder.

Maleficent felt a warmth spread across her chest, and she hoped that Ingrith was referring to Maleficent’s magic, and not, _well_, Diaval. Although, she supposed, Diaval _was_ the product of her magic,_ and_ _honestly, why did she care so much what this woman thought anyway?_

Diaval looked from Ingrith, to Maleficent (who he could have _sworn_ was blushing), then back to Ingrith again.

“Alright,” Diaval said at last, in exasperation, “will someone tell me what on _earth_ is going on here? Mistress, maybe I’ve got it all wrong, but you look like you’re having… _breakfast_ with your enemy! The woman who – ”

“_Enemy_?” Ingrith said, her voice quivering slightly as she looked at Maleficent.

It was at that precise moment that Maleficent realized this: she could not _possibly_ tell Ingrith the truth. Not _this _Ingrith, who thought she was a young girl, and believed that fairies could be good, and was entranced by the idea of magic. Not _now_.

“Diaval knows I mistrust humans,” Maleficent said, desperately willing Diaval to keep quiet.

“But not you,” Maleficent followed quickly, seeing a flash of hurt cross Ingrith’s face.

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t be sitting here having breakfast with you, would I?”

Ingrith broke into a shaky laugh, and Maleficent sighed internally in relief.

Out of the corner of her eye, Maleficent saw Diaval's eyes widen in disbelief, and his mouth opened as if to start voicing his opinions, which were honestly the _last _things on earth she would like to hear right now. She cut him off by sliding out of her chair and yanked him out of the door of the cottage, where Ingrith cannot hear them.

“Mistress, what in _heaven’s_ name are you doing with that wretched woman – ” Diaval started, the moment they are out of earshot, his voice brimming with indignation.

“She’s lost her memory,” Maleficent hissed, hushing him rapidly.

“She thinks she’s _sixteen_ again, and I – ” Maleficent trailed off, suddenly unsure.

Even if Ingrith did think that she was sixteen again, why, _really_, should it bother Maleficent? She hated Ingrith, and wanted Ingrith to suffer, didn’t she? Wouldn’t telling this now innocent Ingrith of all the wicked deeds she would do in the future be the ultimate punishment?

“She reminds you of Aurora, doesn’t she,” Diaval said, after a while, as he watched the multitude of expressions flicker across Maleficent's face.

“_Nonsense_,” Maleficent bit out, her voice clipped.

But even as the denial passed her lips, Maleficent realized that, not for the first time, Diaval was right. _This _Ingrith – this carefree spirit who delighted in magic and found her _brilliant_ – reminded her so strongly of Aurora that she felt a pang in her chest.

“Still,” Diaval said, slightly more hesitantly, “you can’t keep the truth from her forever.”

“I know,” Maleficent replied, softly.

“But, just for a while,” Maleficent turned to Diaval, and her voice is almost pleading.

“Mistress – ” Diaval responded, a slight tone of warning in his voice.

“Just for a while.” Maleficent repeated, fixing Diaval with a firm look.

Diaval hesitated, then caved, as he always did.

They re-entered the cottage, where Ingrith looked up at them with a sweet, if slightly worried, smile, and Diaval could almost believe, for a moment, that this was the right thing to do.

“I apologise for my manners earlier on, my lady,” Diaval said, “I was too rash, as my Mistress reminds me.”

“Oh,” Ingrith said, “you don’t have to apologise! I guess you don’t meet humans much, not really.”

Then, there it was again, the smile blooming across Ingrith’s face. At that moment, Diaval felt as though a wave of déjà vu had washed over him, as he remembered another golden haired woman with almost the same smile. He chanced a glance at Maleficent, who was watching their interaction with a small smile on her face.

_We are doomed_, he thought internally, even as a smile tugged at his own lips as Ingrith dragged Maleficent back to the breakfast table.

* * *

Hours later, after Ingrith had settled under the covers and had slipped into slumber, Diaval asked Maleficent a question which has been bothering him for most of the day.

  
“Shouldn’t we tell, you know, shouldn’t we tell Aurora?” Diaval queried, tentatively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally found the time to come up with another short chapter! do let me know what you think :-)


	3. Chapter 3

Diaval’s question rang in her ears long after night fell. She had never kept any secrets from Aurora, not since the time when she had concealed the truth about the curse from her. It seemed wrong to start now, and all for a woman who should rightly be her enemy.

Maleficent chanced a glance at her supposed enemy. In sleep, Ingrith looked so young, so _gentle -_ Maleficent could scarcely believe that this was the woman who had once led an army into a vicious war. She raised her hand, brushing aside a golden lock of hair from Ingrith’s face and tucking it behind her ear. When she realised what she had just done, she froze in horror, her hand dangling awkwardly in mid-air. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she stood abruptly and moved to the window, staring out at the moonlit forest.

_I will tell Aurora_, she decided. _Eventually_. _Just not now. I have to tell Ingrith who she truly is first. I owe her that at least. It was my spell that backfired - this is my fault_. Maleficent turned back to look at Ingrith’s sleeping form, and gave a little sigh, her heart heavy with a sudden melancholy. Somehow, in the two days since she had first stumbled upon Ingrith in the woods, she had grown to like this strange, new, version of Ingrith. She laughed so freely, and bubbled with such a curiosity that it made Maleficent smile just from the thought of it. _In another life, we could have been friends_, Maleficent thought, wistfully.

She wondered how Ingrith would react to being told the truth. _Would her memories return? Would she remain bereft of memories, but be burdened with the horror of her past anyway, by virtue of Maleficent’s words?_ These thoughts hurtled through her mind as she paced back and forth before the window, and it was a while before she realized that someone was watching her. Whirling around, she saw that Ingrith had awakened, and was gazing at her with eyes that were just a little too wise.

“Oh,” she said, awkwardly, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t wake me,” Ingrith said, softly, getting up and moving to stand by Maleficent.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Ingrith queried, after a while, gently nudging Maleficent, who nearly jumped in surprise at the contact.

Shifting her glance with great difficulty away from Ingrith’s soft smile, Maleficent gave a terse nod. Vaguely, Maleficent wondered why her heart seemed to be thumping at an alarming rate.

They stood in silence for a while, and Maleficent tried very hard to suppress her sudden urge to fly straight out of the window into the night, away from Ingrith’s knowing eyes.

“My mother used to sing to me,” Ingrith murmured, softly, gazing out over the forest, “when I had trouble sleeping.”

Maleficent turned to face her, and in the glow of the moonlight, Ingrith’s eyes were at once fond and unspeakably sorrowful.

“Would you like me to sing to you?” Ingrith asked.

Against what was perhaps her better judgement, she nodded. Selfishly, some part of Maleficent wanted to savour _this_ Ingrith as long as she could. This wonderfully kind person who would offer to sing her to sleep, who would marvel at her magic, whose smile was so very, very warm. 

Ingrith gently took her hand and led her to the bed, before sitting down beside her.

Then, in a lilting, warm voice, she began to sing.

“_Quietly, hush now, to sleep_

_On the wings of a butterfly_

_Let your cares drift away…”_

Maleficent’s eyelids fluttered shut, and she slipped into her dreams as though bewitched. 

_____

As she awoke, Maleficent gradually became aware that something soft and warm was pressing against her chest. _It was a nice feeling_, she mused, _almost like she had fallen asleep with her arms around another_ – Her thoughts ground to a halt, and her eyes flew open in alarm. Nestled against her, still deep in slumber, was Ingrith.

A disapproving caw emanated from the direction of the window. Internally cursing herself, Maleficent carefully extricated herself from her predicament, careful not to disturb Ingrith in the process. Ingrith gave a tiny sigh at the loss of contact, then rolled over a little, still deep in slumber.

For a moment, Maleficent contemplated just leaving Diaval as a crow, where his nagging would be limited to cawing. Almost as if he had sensed her thoughts, he flapped his wings fervently and gave a loud caw, causing Ingrith to stir slightly. Waving her finger hastily in Diaval’s direction, she hurried to the window where he now sat, human once again, smirking.

“_Really_, Mistress?”

Maleficent glared at him.

“Not a word from you, if you value your tongue,” she hissed.

He raised an eyebrow, but lowered it hastily at her vicious glare, raising his hands in submission.

“Alright, alright,” he said, his tone deceptively appeasing.

A pause. Then - 

“Just, isn’t it a little too soon to be sleeping with our enemy?”

“Sleeping with our – ” Maleficent’s voice rose in indignation as she conjured a ball of green fire in one hand, and tossed it in Diaval’s direction.

He dived to one side to avoid it, hitting the floor hard with a yelp. The fireball careened straight into a chair, and engulfing it in flames. Diaval scrambled away from the burning mass of wood as quickly as he could, while Maleficent looked on, satisfied that her point had been made.

“Maleficent?”

Both their heads turned at once to the source of the voice. In her haste to teach Diaval a lesson, Maleficent had awoken Ingrith, who was now blinking in confusion at the burning pile of wood that was formerly a chair.

Maleficent waved her hand again and the fire extinguished itself, leaving a pile of charred wood, still slightly smoking. Ingrith turned her gaze to Maleficent instead. Maleficent suddenly felt as though her face was a little too warm. _Maybe it was the impromptu fire_, she mused.

“Breakfast?” Diaval suggested, moving over to the dining table, in an attempt to ignore the slight blush that was now tinting his Mistress’ cheeks. _Oh, they were in such trouble._

_____

Maleficent watched as Ingrith rushed to the little meadow beside the cottage, smiling at the colourful creatures that darted back and forth across the sprigs of grass.

“What are they called?” Ingrith said, turning back to look at Maleficent.

“Pickeries,” she replied, gazing at Ingrith as she turned back to examine the meadow once more.

With difficulty, Maleficent tore her eyes away from Ingrith and attempted once again to muster her inner strength, to do what must be done.

She had brought Ingrith out into the woods, intending to tell her the truth at last. But every time Maleficent had tried to say the words, they remained lodged in her throat. _Later_, she kept telling herself, _later_. _Just a moment later_. _Just a while longer_. Now, there were no more moments left – the sun was setting, casting a soft, golden glow over the woods. Soon, it would be nightfall, and she had promised herself that she would tell Ingrith today, no matter the cost.

“Ingrith,” she called, and she hated the way her voice shook ever so slightly.

Ingrith turned, radiant in the light of the setting sun.

“Thank you for showing me all this today,” she said, warmly, and the words Maleficent had been about to say faded away once again.

“Of course,” Maleficent replied. Ingrith smiled, and wound her arm around Maleficent’s, trusting her to lead them home.

_Tomorrow_, Maleficent told herself firmly. _I will tell her tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter, courtesy of being stuck at home due to the virus situation. Yes, those lyrics are from a song in Finding Neverland, the musical. Yes, I might have an unhealthy obsession with musicals. Let me know what you think of the chapter, and I hope you are all safe and well amidst this mess that we are currently in!

**Author's Note:**

> So for any of you who follow me on twitter, you'll KNOW that I talked about this amnesia fic idea that was stuck in my head. Guess what? I put it into words. Oops. Chapter updates might be a bit slow because I'm busy, but I promise I won't just leave this unresolved!


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